When Stars Collide
by Deaths.RoseXo
Summary: 30 years before the year 5 billion. The last of Earth's people are leaving, but what happens when something goes gravely wrong? Can the Doctor save them? Can he save someone who knows loss almost as much as he does? post-Rose, pre-Martha. 10th x OC
1. Who's That?

_**DISCLAIMER:** _I do not own Doctor Who. This is a nonprofit fan fiction.

Author's Note/Warning: The beginning of this chapter doesn't have much of the Doctor, but I promise he shows up at the end and he'll be **much **more prominent in following chapters! XD Enjoy.

**Chapter 1: Who's That?**

_I'm chained to a brick wall, something out of a horror film about the prehistoric middle ages. No matter how much I struggle against my shackles, it's useless. I hear footsteps echoing in the claustrophobic halls, each step taking the own closer and closer to my prison cell. In the back of my mind, I know that it's my tormenter, back for more of me. Back to spill more of my blood._

_Frantically, I struggle against my restraints, futilely fighting for some form of escape. The cold metal cuffs dig deeper and deeper into my flesh with their rusted edges. Tears from pain silently trace down my cheeks and I watch as a ring of blood circles my wrists._

_Behind me, I hear the metal-barred door squeak and grind against its hinges. I look up through the blur of my tears to see my attacker._

_It's _him_. Caleb. Suddenly, I'm choking on air; I'm so relieved that it's him._

_A smile brightens his face like the brightest star I've ever seen, and his sapphire-blue eyes sparkle in the dim lighting._

_"I'm still here."_

_**Be-Beep! Be-Beep! Be-Beep!**_

Absently, I throw out my hand, slamming it against every button except _Snooze_. Frustrated, I grab the stupid alarm clock and fling it across the room. It shatters against the wall, but not in my line of sight.

I just lay there, unmoving. Awake and breathing, yet so far from being alive. The sharp, pulsing ache in my chest that has become my constant companion greets my snidely. I just want to stay in this spot and disappear. When I close my eyes, all I see is his face. His beautiful, angelic face. His light skin and bright, ocean-y eyes. His soft, blonde hair.

"Come on, Maddie. They'll be serving breakfast soon." The image in my mind shatters into a million pieces, reminding me of what I lost. I suck in a breath as a tremor of pain snakes it's way through me.

I don't say anything back, can't say anything back. I'm frozen in time, unable and unwilling to do or say anything.

"Maddie? Madison!" Zara, my roommate yells, but I have no energy to respond. All I can think about is Caleb and the memory of his lips pressed against mine. And it kills me.

I feel the bed dip down behind me, and I don't have to turn around to know that it's Zara. Her hand gently combs through my hair. "Why don't you get dressed and then we'll go get breakfast. It will make you feel better."

She grumbles when I stay perfectly still. I mimic the motionlessness of a corpse because that's how I feel; dried out and lifeless. All the marrow has been sucked clean from my bones.

Zara gets up, ready to leave, and finally I can function again; or at least I'm capable of movement. She looks down at me with concerned eyes. I look over her features, memorizing every green scale on her face. At first, I was leary of the Silurian, but then she turned out to be one of the best people I had ever met. She and I became good friends almost immediately.

Somehow, I found myself dressed and sitting in the mess hall. When I think about it, I vaguely remember getting out of bed, but then I realize that I don't really care how I got here. I stare down at the steaming food on my plate.

Thankfully, I was able to scrape up enough money to get a better ticket for the ship. This means that I get a better room, better food, and more access to the ship's recreation center. Scientists figured that we only had about thirty more years before the sun burned out and destroyed the Earth in the year five billion, so I decided it was finally time to move to a new galaxy.

Originally, I planned to move to Landor, a planet in the Adelphine Cluster, with Caleb. A day before the ship was supposed to leave, he ended up confessing that he never planned to go to Landor with me. I shoved the thought aside and tried to ignore the fact that he was in another ship in the fleet of seven starships, each heading for a different galaxy.

Zara catches me staring off into oblivion, which is a sign that I'm sinking back into the mute world the heartache leaves me. Sometimes, I wonder if it will ever go away.

* * *

... ... ... ... ...

* * *

At dinner, a tall man walks over to our table, asking if he can join us. We all just sort of stare at him for a while before making room. He sits across from me, allowing me to get a good look at him.

Although most of the trip I've been in a heart-broken stupor, I'm more than certain I've never seen him before. On each ship, the levels are divided by everyone's destination planet, and the mess halls are divided by class. Everyone has a certain table that they sit at, just like high school. It's weird that I haven't seen him around before.

When he notices me staring, I feel the skin on my face stretch into a smile before looking away.

"I'm sorry, but who did you say you were again?" Zara asks, being the only one bold enough to voice everyone's question. Or maybe she's just the only one that cares.

"Oh, right, sorry. I'm the Doctor." I look up at the man to catch his smile. Something inside of me stirs, just enough to loosen the vice-like grip of pain in my chest, if only for a second. But feeling the wound Caleb left jolt and burn, I look away again.

"Doctor who?" Asks Ryan, the man sitting beside Zara.

"It's just The Doctor."

What kind of weird name is that? I look up at the man again, taking in his gravity-defying hair that matches the same brown shade of his eyes.

When I see his eyes, I feel a sense of familiarity. There are dark smudges just under them from too many sleepless nights. The expression within the depths of those eyes is haunting, just like what I see in my own every time I chance a glimpse in the mirror. This self-proclaimed "doctor" catches me looking at him again, and immediately I can tell that he sees the same thing in me that I see in him—loss.

* * *

**Author's Note:** This was inspired by an amazing dream I had last night. Hopefully this story will turn out to be just as awesome! XD Please review!


	2. The Doctor Meets Madison

_**DISCLAIMER:**_ I do not own Doctor Who. This is a nonprofit fan fiction.

**Author's Note:** I know the first chapter was sort of emotional and the Doctor didn't show up until the end, but I PROMISE that he will be more present from now on. However, it's most likely going to continue with the emotional baggage. Please enjoy and tell me what you think! XD

**The Doctor Meets Madison**

Unable to sleep, I wander around the ship until I find the sitting area. I stare blankly out the window, which is really just a holographic projection. It's made to look like a window in the old fashioned cruise liners, ships that floated in the oceans of Earth long ago. Imaginary fish swim by, again and again. After staying there for awhile, I start to see the pattern of the creatures that pass by. It takes 20 minutes before the whole process starts again.

I don't know how long I stay there, watching the image loop time after time. I like watching the fish; it allows me to think about absolutely nothing, especially not _him,_ Caleb. Behind me, I hear someone approach. My body tenses, wanting to flee from the unwelcome company, but I'm too exhausted to move.

The same man from dinner appears in my peripheral vision. The Doctor. I watch him out of the corner of my eye, but don't dare to look over at him; I don't feel like talking to anyone. He sits far enough away to allow two people to sit between us, but close enough that we could reach out and touch. Suddenly, I remember the haunted glaze in his eyes, and I realize that he won't want to talk either. We both sit there in silence that would be uncomfortable for anyone else.

To us, the quiet isn't truly silent; it is consumed by burning memories and hearts filled with sorrow.

Finally, after hours that have blended together, life starts to filter into the room. We both stay here until it's too loud for us to take. The Doctor it the first to get up and leave. Not so long after his departure, I also leave the now-crowded room.

Absentmindedly, I find my way back to my room. Zara is no longer here, but I'm not surprised. My body feels like it weighs a ton, and part of me muses over the idea that the captain might have increased the ship's gravity. It's a silly idea. They wouldn't do that; it would be pointless and take up too much energy in the long run.

Allowing my body to go limp and fall to the stiff mattress, I soon find myself in the blissful oblivion of dreamless sleep.

* * *

... ... ... ... ...

* * *

When I wake up, I feel more refreshed than I have since Caleb first told be he wouldn't stay with me. Taking advantage of the better mood, I went down the the recreation center. Zara was playing Holo-Battle with Ryan. She catches my eye, giving me an encouraging smile, before returning her attention to the game.

I walk over to watch them play. To my surprise, she wins.

"Want to play Circle Smack?" I ask her.

"Out of all the things to do, you want to play that old thing?" Zara scoffs, but I can tell that she doesn't mean to be rude.

"I love the classics!" I smile, hoping she'll agree. The expression on her face tells me that I won't be so lucky.

"I'll play," comes a male's voice from behind me. I turn around to see the Doctor with a bright smile on his face. Though it doesn't reach his eyes, I still find myself smiling back.

We go over to the Circle Smack table, each grabbing our Smack.

"You know, this was actually called 'Air Hockey' back in its day," The Doctor informs me.

"Really? And how would you know that?" I ask before thinking about it. "Oh, you must be a Time Agent." I answer my own question.

"Something like that." He smiles secretively.

We get lost in the game, both of us furiously slamming the Circle, what the Doctor tells me is called the "Puck." When servants come in to tell us that dinner is ready, we find ourselves tied. Neither of us scored a point.

Together, we go get our food, sitting at the same table I always do, only this time he sits next to me.

"Plutonians were an extraordinary race," he says randomly.

Though I know he's referring to my lavender eyes, I'm still surprised; very few people know much about the Plutonians.

"Yes, they were. My great grandfather was Plutonian. His purple eyes stood in our family." I smile at the Doctor.

"So that's what you are! We've all had our theories, but none of them were right." Ryan interrupts enthusiastically.

"Well, I'm a Human-Plutonian hybrid. Only Plutonian traits that have lasted through the generations are the eyes and the telepathic ability." I answer. Usually, talking about species was considered politically incorrect, but since I didn't seem to mind, they didn't either.

"So that's how I wasn't able to score! You cheat!" The Doctor accuses, but he's just playing around.

"How did I cheat?" I ask, feigning offence.

"You saw my moves before I made them."

"No, I didn't." Now I'm being serious. I really didn't see anything from him.

"Well, you must have. I always win Air Hockey." He looks at me with furrowed eyebrows. I squirm under his scrutinizing eyes.

"I honestly didn't," I sat quietly before going silent for the rest of the meal.

* * *

... ... ... ... ...

* * *

After dinner, I go back to my spot in the sitting room, watching the holographic fish swim along on their imaginary routes. The Doctor startles me by jumping over the back of the couch and landing beside me.

"Did you really not see anything when we played Air Hockey?" He stares deep into my eyes the way Caleb used to, causing me to flinch away.

"No."

"Look, I don't care if you did, but it's very important that you tell me." His voice is low and deep with a sense of urgency.

A flash of rage sparks inside of me. I am not a liar, and I don't like being accused of being one.

"I didn't see anything!" I snap, looking up to meet his eyes.

There is no challenge in their murky depths, but I still feel the need to defend myself.

"Are you absolutely sure?" The intensity of his gaze unsettles me. There is so much in those eyes that are too old for his face.

"I am not a liar, Doctor," my voice drips venom.

I get up to leave, but the Doctor calls after me, "Wait!"

"What?" I don't turn to look at him.

"What's your name?" This takes me off guard; I was not expecting something so innocent to come from his accusatory lips. Now I turn to look at him.

"Madison."

"I believe you, Madison."


	3. Unanswered Questions

**_DISCLAIMER: _**I do not own Doctor Who. This is a nonprofit fan fiction.

**Chapter 3: Unanswered Questions**

The next day, I surprise not only Zara, but also myself by waking up before her. Not only am I the first to be awake, but I'm also the first to be showered and dressed. Before leaving the room to go down for breakfast, I risk a glance in the mirror.

Bright purple eyes stare back at me, dark smudges still present just below them, but for once they aren't glazed over. My long hair cascades around my face in a waterfall of straight golden-blonde locks. This is the best I've seen myself since Caleb's eternal departure from my life, but still I don't look nearly half as good.

My skin is dry and flakey from lack of proper treatment; my hair is dull from not being conditioned enough; and my eyes, while not glassy, are cold and distant.

I summon up the courage to tear myself away from the image of the wasted woman before me. Without waiting for Zara to get ready, I slip out of the room and down the corridor. I'm on a mission.

* * *

... ... ... ... ...

* * *

To my disappointment, the Doctor isn't at breakfast. I need to talk to him about the whole thing that happened yesterday, about the absence of my telepathic ability. It was all I could think about since I went to bed up until now. How could I have not noticed before?

It was my most treasured gift, something that I cherished. It's impossible that I haven't noticed its absence, yet I did. And the way the Doctor looked at me, I know that it means something. But what?

I look around all day for the Doctor, unsuccessfully. As I'm about to give up for the day, I finally spot him. He's weaving through the crowd, dodging chairs and hyperactive children. A wild expression makes him look even more out of place then usual.

Before I can greet him, he waves some kind of metal cylinder in my face. It has a blue light on the end and makes the most horrid noise. I back away from him, hands clamped tightly over my ears.

Just as suddenly as he appears, he's turning around and running back the same way that he came. I chase after him so that I can figure out what he just did.

"Doctor, wait!" I yell out, but he doesn't stop or slow down.

Ramming into people and getting nicked by the edge of a table, I do everything I can not to lose sight of him. I catch him passing through a doorway, but the strange part is that the doorway only leads to a storage closet. I throw my hand out to stop him from closing the door.

"You shouldn't have followed me," he said, slamming the door behind us. Again, he waves the noisy piece of metal around, only this time it's aimed at the door. I hear the lock slide into place.

Inside the closet is dark, and I can barely see the Doctor regardless of the fact that he's standing right beside me. I hear him shuffling around before a light suddenly illuminates the tiny space. When I look towards its source, I see the outline of a box.

Once more, the Doctor uses his annoying device and the closet light turns on, lighting up the rest of the room. Now I can see the the first outpouring of light came from within a blue wooden box jammed into the tiny space. Unsure of myself, I look to the Doctor.

"What is it?"

"My ship." He says, watching me for any kind of reaction. I try to keep my confusion hidden from him.

Tentatively, I step closer to the box. Above its doors it says "Police Public Call Box." I glance over to the Doctor to see if he's going to let me any closer to his "ship." The only indication I get from him is his steady gaze, which doesn't help much. Taking each step slowly and deliberately, I walk into the Police box.

The interior is impossible.

"It's bigger on the inside!" I almost shout. My scrambled, muddled brain struggles to make sense of it.

At the center of the large room is a tall circular column that reaches from the floor to the ceiling. Around this central device is an array of strange gadgets. I realize that they are controls. When my eyes get dizzy from dancing around the object, I look up at the Doctor. His eyes are bright with pride, an enormous, toothy grin covers his face.

"What are you?" I ask.

"So, something is blocking you from using your telepathic sense, but what? And why?" He completely ignores my question. Two can play at that game.

I turn my focus back to the ship around me. Golden support beams shaped like coral are scattered almost randomly about the room. A long, tan overcoat is tossed haphazardly onto one of the support structures by the door, despite the coat rack beside it.

There is a leather seat by the control panel. On top of it is a small jacket of purple material. Unlike the carelessly placed tan coat, this one is neatly settled over the back of the captain's chair.

"Who's is that?" I whisper.

"What?" I look up at the Doctor but he's looking at the jacket. His expression seeps coldness into my veins. Such pain is echoed in his dark eyes.

"Who's jacket is that?" My voice is soft and I glance down at the item in question.

The Doctor's eyes bore into me with such intensity that I take a step back.

"My friend's." He looks away.

"Where is she?" I ask, wondering if she's in this ship or the other one. Then I realize how stupid it was to just ask that; the expression on his face gave away the answer. Before I can apologize or try to take the words back, he changes the subject.

"I need you to think. About how long ago was it since you were last able to hear anyone's thoughts?" I take a long time to think about it; I'm not sure.

"I don't know, I always heard Caleb's thoughts...until things started to change." The thought of Caleb makes my body tense up, begging for me to revert back to silence.

The last time I remember having my ability, I was with Caleb, sitting on the beach of Old San Diego. We watched the sun set behind the ancient ocean, leaning against one another. I felt the presence of his mind lingering at the edge of my consciousness, all warm and comforting. Always doing my best to block myself from invading other's personal thoughts, I tried not to give in to the temptation of burrowing into the hominess of his mind.

"About a year ago." I say, my voice sounding distant.

"What were you doing exactly? Was there anything at all out of the ordinary? Anything at all?" The Doctor is barely inches from my face, yet I feel as though he's light years away.

My mind is lost in the memory of that day:

* * *

_"Maddie, I love you," Caleb's sudden words startle me. I quickly pull myself away from the tug of his mind so that I can focus on what he says._

_"I love you, too." The words swell inside me, overflowing me with their warmth._

_His large, rough hand hooks under my jaw, guiding me to look at his perfect face. Something strange glows in his eyes; I wonder what he's thinking..._

_His velvety lips pressing against mine stop me from sinking into his thoughts. Too soon, he pulls away, leaving my heart fluttering like hummingbird wings._

_"I have something for you." He says excitedly, and digs around in his jacket pocket. From within the fleecy material, he extracts something silver and reflective._

_When he unclenches his fist, I gasp. In his hand he holds a silver heart locket. In the center of the metallic heart is a bright purple gem. It's the same color of my eyes. I look up at him to see a brilliant smile on his face. That is my favorite thing in the whole world, the whole universe—his smile. His sapphire eyes glitter in the near-darkness._

_"I saw it and I couldn't help but to think of you, what with the gem in the middle. I was told by the man that sold it to me that it is a rare crystal found only on Pluto when it was still a thriving civilization." Caleb reaches out and helps me to clasp it in place. "For all I know, it was just a clever lie, but I just thought it would look so beautiful on you."_

_I trace my fingers over the heart, committing it to memory._

_"Thank you so much! I _love_ it!" Caleb pulls me into his ever-warm embrace.  
_

* * *

"Madison?" I snap out of the memory and realize that this isn't the first time the Doctor said my name.

My fingers are gripped tightly on the heart locket, my most cherished possession. I refuse to ever take it off.

"Are you alright?" The Doctor asks when I don't look up at him.

"Yeah, fine." My voice is barely audible.

"Who gave you that necklace?"

I glance up at him through a blur of hot tears. Seeing them takes the Doctor by surprise, but before he can ask or say anything, I turn and run, vaguely aware of that annoying noise from the Doctor's tool. Once I reach the closet door I realize that's why he used that stupid thing; he unlocked the door. I don't stop running until I get to my room. Ignoring Zara, I dive into my hard, unwelcoming mattress and bury myself under the covers. Gut-wrenching sobs violently rock me to sleep.


	4. Plutonian Omission

**_DISCLAIMER:_** I do not own Doctor Who. This is a nonprofit fan fiction.

**Chapter 4: Plutonian Omission**

Zara tries every possible way she can think of to get me to move, speak, do anything. All her attempts are useless. After what feels like hours of incessant nagging, she finally gives up and just leaves me here. The whole day goes by seemingly without the passage of time. I'm just suspended in this one moment, half between sleeping and waking. I don't want to move or think or talk. So I don't.

* * *

... ... ... ... ...

* * *

Somehow, I find myself on the couch in the sitting room, staring at the holographic fish. I don't remember how I got here or when, but then again, I don't really care. Like being frozen in time, I stare blankly at the swimming fish.

I hear someone approaching, but I don't bother to look to see who it is. Although I don't know how, I know who it is. The Doctor sits beside me, his only greeting is sitting beside me, far enough so that another person could fit between us.

"Rose. Her name was—is— Rose."

This breaks me out of the invisible prison that keeps me frozen. I glance over at him, but he's just staring straight ahead. He looks towards the projection window, but it's like he's seeing through it.

I follow his gaze back to the fish before saying "Caleb. His name is Caleb."

He reaches out and takes hold of my free hand and squeezes it slightly. Hesitantly, I return the pressure. We both sink into our comfortably shared silence, my free hand gripping the heart pendant as if it has the capacity to destroy our pain.

* * *

... ... ... ... ...

* * *

Next day, I skip breakfast to go straight to the recreation room so that I could be the first to get to the checkerboard. Turns out, I'm not the only one with this idea. I sit waiting for the checkerboard to be free when the Doctor walks in. He smiles one of those smiles that doesn't quite reach his eyes and comes to sit next to me. I return a similar smile.

When the checkerboard is finally open, we take our places, setting up the board.

"I get red!" I say, a little too loudly, with a hint of enthusiasm.

"Why?"

"They're my favorite." I answer as if it's the most obvious thing in the universe.

"Does it matter?" He asks, amused.

"Of course it does." I smile maniacally, all teeth. This gets a chuckle out of him.

"Hey, it's lucky!" I defend myself, but I'm laughing too.

Mindlessly, we both move the checkers around the board. I can tell there's something he's thinking about asking me. He keeps the question to himself just as I keep my questions to myself.

Seeing that we're coming to a tie and figuring that now is the best time to ask, I break the steady silence that seems to be the basis of our sort-of-friendship.

"Doctor, what was that?" I keep my voice low in case of any curious ears.

"What do you mean?" Quickly, he glances at me before making his next move.

"Your...ship." I jump his piece.

"It's my TARDIS." I look up at his words just in time to miss him capturing one of my checkers.

"TARDIS?"

"Time and Relative Dimension In Space." He corners on of my remaining pieces. "What do you know about that necklace?"

I flinch as I feel the phantom of Caleb's lips pressing mine in a soft kiss.

"It was a gift." I mumble, shifting in my seat.

"What for?"

Suddenly, I don't want to play checkers anymore.

"I'm not feeling well, excuse me." I say, pushing out my chair so that I can get up and leave.

"Madison, please. I'm trying to help." The Doctor's deep eyes implore me to stay where I am. This unsettles me. As I'm about to turn around, the Doctor reaches out and grasps my wrist. His hold is firm yet gentle. I look at where his hand anchors me down and freeze.

Slowly, my eyes travel from his hand, up his arm, and to his face. His eyebrows are furrowed in concern.

"That gem, it's Plutonian Omission. The person who gave it to you doesn't want you to know something."

I yank my wrist away from his grasp, glaring at him.

"You do not know what you are talking about," I snarl before turning around and storming out of the room. Behind me, the Doctor calls after me, but I ignore him.

He knows nothing of what he's talking about. Plutonian Omission? Whatever that is, there's no such thing. Anyway, Caleb wouldn't have given me something in order to hide things from me. He loves me and I always gave him privacy. Or, at least I tried my best not to pry.

No, that isn't right. Caleb doesn't love me, he_ loved_ me. Past tense. The all-too-familiar vice-clench settles into the pit of my heart. My veins pump ice-daggers instead of blood.

The Doctor doesn't know what he's talking about. Caleb is a wonderful person.


	5. The Doctor Explains

_**DISCLAIMER:**_ I do not own Doctor Who. This is a nonprofit fan fiction.

Author's Note: 4 chapters, 5,318 words and not **even one **review? You guys suck. :P  
LOL. But seriously, it would be nice to get at least one review? Pretty please? XD

**Chapter 5: The Doctor Explains**

Curiosity is my greatest weakness. It burns at the core of my being, demanding I understand whatever it is that's in question. I know that it won't ever release me until I know what the Doctor was talking about earlier. Frustrated, I pace back and forth in the tiny room I share with Zara.

I don't want to see the Doctor and hear him talking about Caleb or the necklace he gave me. I don't want to give the Doctor an excuse to continue degrading the man I love, even if that man no longer loves me back. My heart pinches at that thought.

Such conflict! The Doctor's strange words eat away at me, begging me to seek out their meanings. That would include having to see him again and hear accusing words about Caleb that I don't want to believe are true—can't believe are true.

Sighing, I march out of the room, searching for the one person I need to talk to, yet least want to see. He isn't in in the game room or the mess hall or sitting by hologram window. Surely enough, the last place I check is the most successful. Why can't he be a little easier to find?

The door to the storage closet is unlocked. Discreetly, my eyes scan the room to make sure I'm not being watched. Once I'm sure no one is looking, I slip into the overpacked room. Inside the store room, I stumble around in the dark until I bump into the blue police box.

I knock on the wooden crate and wait for him to open the doors. They squeak on their hinges.

The Doctor smiles kindly at me. "Hello."

He steps aside, giving me room to enter the TARDIS.

I sit on the captain's chair, careful not to upset the jacket—Rose's jacket—gently placed over the back.

"What did you say the gem was?" I ask, voice completely monotone. My plan is to just hear what he has to say about it, tell him how he's wrong and that Caleb wouldn't try to keep things from me, and then I could just leave. I won't have to talk to him for the rest of the voyage.

"Plutonian Omission. It was used in the tenth century of the Plutonian Empire as a way of controlling the masses. King Steffioni ordered that it be laced into every article of clothing and every piece of jewelry. Quite an extreme way to protect your thoughts, really." The Doctor seemed to mull this over in his mind for a bit before continuing. "He was frightened that if everyone can share their thoughts, that they would rise up against him."

"But couldn't he hear those thoughts starting and just end it before any kind of rebellion ignited?" I ask.

"Yes, but he was so paranoid that the Gods would smite him and block him from seeing the people's thoughts, that he decided it was best to suppress everyone else's mindsight instead. So, he had the best scientists on the planet devise some kind of way to make this possible." He messes around with some of the controls on the circular console as he explains all this to me.

"And it worked, well, for awhile. When the people found out what happened, there were mass riots and a total revolution took place. Since then, every single thought was accounted for and considered. The perfect democracy. Well, it was all a little confusing at first, and the first few governmental meetings brought on such terrible headaches!" The Doctor stops playing around with the TARDIS controls to face me, a wide smile on his face.

"You were there?"

"Oh, yes, of course! I took a trip there about fifty years ago."

I remember that this ship is also a time machine, based off its name, but something still doesn't make sense.

"Then you're not human?" He doesn't look anywhere near fifty years old.

"No." He turns around to look at a monitor, effectively hiding his face from me.

"Then what?" It's rude to talk about species when someone doesn't offer up the information, but part of me is eager to find a flaw in all of what he says; it would clear Caleb's name.

"So, someone gave you that necklace, but why?" He ignores my question. Somehow, I knew he would.

"It was a gift."

"I very expensive gift." The Doctor glances over to me, raising his eyebrows pointedly.

"He loved me." I feel my anger starting to build again, but these words force him to look away.

I'm considering getting up and just walking away when he comes over to me with that loud metal cylinder, waving it around me like he did last time. The sound is ear-piercing and it feels like it's drilling into my brain. I clamp my hands over my ears.

"Stop that!" I yell. He immediately complies. "What is that? It's so loud!"

"Sonic screwdriver."

"Well, I'm not a screw so stop it." I glare up at him.

"Sorry. I didn't realize...you must have very sensitive hearing."

Turning back to the console, he plugs the sonic screwdriver into something and types on a keyboard. On the monitor appears images of a star and a list of the metals that can be extracted from it. One particular metal is highlighted, but it's not one that I'm familiar with.

"What is it?" I ask, peering around him for a better look.

Suddenly, he turns around, gripping both of my arms, and stares straight into my eyes. "Madison, I need you to trust me, okay? Take off the necklace." His gaze is pleading but fierce.

Feeling conflicted, I search his eyes for any kind of signal, though for what, I don't know. Why is he so desperate for me to take off my necklace?

"You can put it right back on if you want, but please, just for a minute, take it off." His voice is soft and rushed.

I tear myself away from his ancient-looking eyes. With trembling hands, I find the clasp and release it. It feels weird not having the slight weight from the pendant pulling at my neck, anchoring me in place. I feel lost without it. Just like the Doctor keeps the jacket around as a small piece of Rose, my necklace is the only thing that I have left of Caleb, my family, and a long lost home world.

He takes the necklace from me, carefully closing his fist around it.

At the edge of my mind, I can feel everything; everyone on the star ship; and it's wonderful. My body is complete again. The Doctor steps closer to me, and I single out his mind from all the others.

_You can hear now, can't you? _He communicates telepathically with me.

_Yes, I can! But I don't understand how it—Oh, Doctor! _My thought is cut short by a sudden flood of his memories.

The images and memories in his mind burn so brightly and so painfully. He has lost so much. In his mind I can see his home planet, Gallifrey, being reduced to ash along with his loved ones. My hand reaches out for his, gripping it hard, as though this will save him from what has already transpired. Now I know his species, though I wish for his sake he wasn't a Time Lord; that way he wouldn't have to be tortured by such terrible memories.

Just as quickly as they came, the images are gone.

"I am so sorry." I whisper out loud, realizing that I'm crying, not for myself, but for him.

"I'm sorry you saw that." His voice is stripped of any emotion, which is somehow worse than being filled with sorrow.

"No, it's okay, Doctor. It really is okay."

I just want him to know that I'm here for him, even though it may be too late. I want him to know that he's not alone in the way he feels, that he's not the only one to have lost so much. Anything I can think to say only dulls in comparison to what everything really is like.

Unable to find the words, I do the only thing that I can think of.

I hug him, tight. At first his body goes a little rigid, but then he relaxes some and returns the embrace. I feel him reach out for my mind with his, and we link. Together, we each take a piece of the other's grief, doing the best we can to relieve the other's suffering—if only a little.


	6. Perception Filters

_**DISCLAIMER:** _I do not own Doctor Who. This is a nonprofit fan fiction.

**Chapter 6: Perception Filters**

"This metal, do you know what it is?" The Doctor breaks our connection after awhile by pulling away from me, holding up the necklace.

"No. I thought it was silver at first, but it has this sort of...gleam to it that isn't in silver. I bet you know though, don't you?"

"It is a special kind of steel that's forged in the heart of a dwarf star. It's used for short-ranged perception filters. Short-ranged, but very strong. Whoever created this had some pretty good secrets they need to protect." He glares at the beautiful piece of jewlery, as if demanding it confess whatever its purpose might be.

I shake my head, knowing that there is no possible way that Caleb could have known any of this.

"Caleb couldn't have known that; it was just a gift. Anyways, he isn't the kind to keep big, dark secrets."

"Even so, who did he get it from and why did they give it to him?"

The Doctor looks up at me. His eyebrows are scrunched together in deep thought. He looks like he's trying to put together a puzzle, but he doesn't have all the pieces and he's not sure what the picture is supposed to be. I can offer him no ideas; there's nothing that could have driven Caleb to conceal my mindsight. It was just supposed to be a necklace, nothing more, nothing less. A simple gift.

My stomach interrupts us with a fierce growl that can't be ignored.

"I think it's time for dinner." I say. The Doctor follows me out of the TARDIS and to the mess hall.

Now without the telepath-blocking necklace, the mess hall is so loud. I forgot how noisy it can get when I can hear thoughts and spoken words as if they were the same thing. It takes me awhile to remember how to block out all the people that my attention isn't focused on.

Tonight's special is some kind of Silurian dish. I bet this will make Zara happy; she's always complaining about how much Human food they served. She doesn't show up until dinner time is mostly over, followed by Ryan. This is the first time I've ever felt my friend's mind. It feels very welcoming, but I remember my manners and keep from digging around in her head without permission.

Looking at her, I can tell something is different. She wears a soft smile and her face is absolutely glowing. When I catch her eye, her smile deepens before she looks away. I glance over to Ryan and catch him looking at me oddly. He blushes and looks away. Returning to Zara, I raise one of my brows. She's going to have somethings to explain to me later.

After dinner, I grab Zara by the hand, looking deep into her vibrant green eyes. I smile knowingly, and she smiles sheepishly in return. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice the Doctor watching us, but there are more important things at hand. Zara and I go to our shared room, closing the door behind us.

"Tell me all about it!" I sit on her bed, looking up at her imploringly. She sits to join me.

"Well, there's not much to tell, really." I feel her mind focusing on Ryan.

"Oh, rubbish. Come on, tell me!"

"Really, it's not much. I've just been spending a bit of time with Ryan is all. Not much of a big deal." She looks away, fiddling with her skirt shyly.

"You like him, yeah?" I don't have to ask; not only can I now read her mind, but it's written clearly all over her face.

"Well..."

"I know you do! That's great! Do you think he likes you, too?"

"Well, that's the thing! He gave me this," she holds out her wrist to show me a silver bracelet.

Something about it makes my skin crawl, but I try to keep it from showing on my face. I am suddenly very aware of the necklace I left, very reluctantly, with the Doctor. The bracelet seems to be boring into me, tugging at the edge of my mind; trying to wipe out my recognition of it.

"That's wonderful." I tear my eyes from the object, forcing a smile without letting it look forced.

The cogs in my mind start churning. Something isn't right. Ryan is one of Caleb's best friends, or at least he was. I was surprised at first to learn that they weren't going to the same galaxy, until I found out that they had a falling out. But why is Ryan giving Zara a perception filter bracelet?

I block out the tiny part of me that's shouting out the fact that Caleb also gave me a piece of jewelry of the same material. Maybe the Doctor is right; someone is trying to keep secrets.

All of a sudden, it clicks in my mind that I couldn't feel Ryan at dinner. I could feel everyone's mind in the room, but when I looked at him, nothing. Just a totally blank wall. This revelation unsettles me. I have to tell the Doctor about this.

"I'll be right back, I just forgot something." I say before making a run for the door.

In the corridor, I literally run into the Doctor. We collide, the impact making me stumble back some. I look up at him. Damn, he really is tall...but then, I'm also very short.

We say each other's name simultaneously.

"Ryan's mind is blank, something is keeping me out." I say at the same time that he says "I think someone on this ship might know something."

"You first," the Doctor suggests.

I explain how I couldn't feel Ryan at dinner, and I tell him about the bracelet that he gave to Zara. The only thing I leave out is the fact that Ryan was also Caleb's friend at one point; I don't want to believe Caleb might have something to do with all of this. Carefully, I build up a wall so that the Doctor won't find this piece of information in my mind. Ryan probably gave it to Caleb, knowing that Caleb would give it to me. That's all. Caleb is innocent. I know it; he just has to be.

* * *

... ... ... ... ...

* * *

The Doctor and I are playing checkers again, although to anyone else, we're just sitting there, staring at the board. I'm cheating, but so is he.

I watch as he starts to construct a plan. He's clever, creating a plan under the cover of the plan he lets me see. I can feel as he notices that I noticed this trick.

_Oi! Stop that! You're such a cheat_. He accuses telepathically.

_Shut up, you're even more of a cheat._

_I am not! I am a Time Lord. I just simply traveled into the past once we finished this game and told myself what moves you made and planned to make. So no, I'm not cheating...yet. I'm just remembering what hasn't happened yet. _He smiles deviously.

_You are such a liar! And anyway, you can't cross your own time line._ I point out one of the things that I remember from his mind.

This silences him.

_What's this? But, that's impossible! _A stray thought breaks into my concentration. I look at the Doctor. He heard it too.

_These readings, they're out of control!_ Another frantic voice breaks in.

The playful look etched into the Doctor's features quickly melts into a stony mask. Ever so slightly, I hear the faintest of creaks.

"Did you hear that noise?" I ask aloud. _Not the voices,_ I add in his mind.

He looks at me, raising a questioning eyebrow. I try to replay it in my mind for, but find it impossible. It was so quiet that I can't even tell what it truly sounded like. Perhaps it was just a figment of my imagination. One thing for sure though, is that those thoughts were not imaginary.

The Doctor and I stare at each other across the tiny game table. Without having to communicate in any way, we both jump out of our chairs, in unison, and run out of the recreation room, in the direction of the TARDIS.


	7. A Little Too Tight

**_DISCLAIMER: _**I do not own Doctor Who. This is a nonprofit fan fiction. All non-Doctor Who characters are mine, and so is the plot.

Review Reply:  
JN Cory: Thanks for your review! And I agree about the plot needing a speed-boost. I was just trying to build the personality of the characters without plowing through the story first, but I think it's enough of that for now. (: I hope you enjoy this chapter.

**Chapter 7: A Little Too Tight**

Inside the TARDIS, the Doctor scrambles around the central console, spinning dials, pulling levers, and doing other things I find impossible to describe. One thing is for sure, though—something is gravely wrong.

"Doctor, what is it?" I ask, panic causing my voice to come out louder than I intend.

"Someone is magnetizing the outer hull of the ship. The interior of the ship is made with a dense metal that has an extremely high magnetic attraction." He explains frantically.

"What?" Although I already know what this means, I need to hear it from him.

He looks up from what he's doing and gives me a look as though I just drooled all over him.

"The ship is going to crush itself. The crew is locked out of the controls, but I might be able to hack into the system with the TARDIS."

The TARDIS jolts as sparks come flying out towards the Doctor. He jumps away quickly, shaking his hand fiercely.

"Are you okay?" I rush over to him, but he's already back to typing furiously into the keyboard.

"I can't override the controls. But maybe...Of course! I can send out a distress signal to the other ships!" He cries triumphantly.

He types in more information before a face appears on the monitor. It's a captain from one of the other ships in the fleet.

"Hello, I'm Captain Sausburg of Starship Castaway. State your current situtation."

"We're on the Starship Butterjay. Something has gone wrong with the controls and we can't override them. The exterior has been magnified by four hundred percent. We only have about an hour until the exterior collapses. Well, an hour exactly. We request immediate teleport." The Doctor speaks so quickly that it's almost impossible to keep up with him.

The captain of Castaway nods, eyebrows furrowed. "We only have space on this ship for about one hundred. I'll relay your message to the other ships in the fleet."

In seconds, incoming transmissions light up the monitor. Each ship can hold only about fifty and two hundred people. Altogether, roughly one thousand people can be saved. There are ten thousand on this ship.

The Doctor runs his fingers through his brown, spiked hair, teeth clenched in frustration.

"We need to get the people off this ship."

I want to tell him that we can't save everyone, but I know that he's already aware of this. Helplessly, I just watch him try to figure something out, but I know that it's impossible.

"Doctor, you can't save everyone." I finally say, because I can tell that he'll just stand there trying to piece together a plan until it's too late.

When he looks at me, there's the same empty look on his face that he had when he thought of his home burning.

"We have to try." He runs out of the TARDIS before I can try to reason with him.

The Doctor hijacks the loudspeaker, telling everyone that there's an emergency and to prepare for immediate transport. All hell breaks loose, and we try our best to calm everyone down. We didn't tell them about the limited space, which was probably for the best; much less panic.

I run through the chaotic hallways, searching frantically for Zara. The Doctor chases after me, telling me that we need to get back to the TARDIS, but I'm not listening.

I spot my reptilian friend several feet ahead of me and begin to shove through the crowd even more desperately. I feel a hand clamp onto my shoulder.

"Madison! We have to get back to the TARDIS, now!" The Doctor yells over panicked commotion. I spin around on my heels to face him.

"I am **_not_** going to leave her! She is my **_friend_** and I will **_not_** abandon her!" I yell furiously before turning my attention back to Zara.

She turns around when I call out her name. Struggling against the crowd, it takes forever for her to come close enough for me to reach out and grab her hand.

"I can't believe this is happening!" Her face is damp from tears. I squeeze her hand tighter, terrified of losing her, and not daring to loosen my grib.

"It will all be okay, I promise." I catch the Doctor's eyes, giving him a look that will allow no arguments.

On the way back to the TARDIS, we run into Ryan.

"Ryan! I'm so glad you're alright!" Zara cries.

The Doctor seizes him fiercely by the arm, taking him with us. Ryan struggles a little at first, but then just finds it easier to come with us. Along the way, we grab anyone who will follow us, until we have a line of eighty. By now, many people have been teleported to another ship.

We all file neatly and hurriedly into the TARDIS, every so often hearing a complaint about space. Those complaints are annihilated once they see the interior.

The Doctor hurries over to his controls, running around the console like a madman on fire.

The central cylinder that reaches from the floor to ceiling pulses up and down. A loud whirring, wooping sound can be heard over the terrified chatter of the people in the room.

"Quiet!" The Doctor yells, not having to repeat himself more than once.

On the monitor, Captain Sausburg greets the Doctor.

"We are heading to the planet Anura for emergency landing. I'm sending you the coordinates now." He hesiates before asking, "Who are you?"

His answer is simple, but packed full of meaning. "I'm the Doctor."

* * *

**Author's Note:** Just wanted to make a quick thanks to the people who favorited this story: Undapper Thoughts and HayatoxAkemi. (:

P.S. New chapter coming tomorrow!


	8. The Children of Earth

_**DISCLAIMER:**_ I do not own Doctor Who. This is a nonprofit fan fiction. All non-Doctor Who characters are mine, and so is the plot.

* * *

**Chapter 8: The Children of Earth**

Everybody looks about warily as the TARDIS bounces around, causing them to lose balance every so often. An image of the captain's chair comes into my mind as someone decides to sit there. I practically lung in front of the woman before she sits down, quickly and gently scooping Rose's jacket into my arms. I hold it protectively against my chest.

I feel the Doctor's eyes on me. Glancing up, I see him giving me a smile, a strange concoction of shyness and gratefulness.

In almost no time at all, the TARDIS lands on its destination planet, Anura. This planet is composed mostly of water, with a few scattered islands. It certainly is humid, but it somehow just feels so good.

We land on a large dock, floating in the middle of nowhere in the vast ocean. It is everything from a refueling station to a spaceport. Waiting amongst the docks is an assembly of small motor boats. It takes ten of them to carry everyone from the TARDIS to the planet's main island.

Zara, the Doctor, and I share a boat with others. To my displeasure, Ryan is in a different boat. I really want to be able to keep an eye on him; I don't trust him.

This starts off smoothly, and I start to feel more and more safe as the minutes go by. Eventually, I start thinking about Caleb in one of the other starships, and I feel a sharp stab of pain in my chest, much like a serrated dagger. My stomach clenches with sickening worry.

"Doctor, do you think the other ships will have the same problem?" I barely manage to whisper.

Before he can respond, a loud _**BANG!**_ shoots through the silence. We turn to see one of the motor boats behind us, the one carrying Ryan. He's standing up, holding an old fashioned gun; the kind that uses bullets instead of lasers. People start screaming in the boat to our left, and I notice that the motor is no longer working. Our chauffeurs cut off the engines, unsure of what to do but not wanting to leave the others stranded. We're too far out in the ocean to either swim to the docks or land.

Ryan shoots at another boat's motor. The man sitting beside Ryan gets up and swiftly throws Ryan off of the boat. In the water, Ryan flails around, desperately splashing and screaming.

"Help! I can't swim!" He yells, and some dark thing inside me pulls my lips into a smile.

Without warning, the Doctor dives into the water, swimming out to Ryan. He grabs hold of the panicked man and drags him back to our boat.

"What are you doing?" I scream over the sound of Ryan's huffing and puffing. The Doctor gives me a stern look before returning his attention to Ryan, soaking hair plastered to the sides of his face.

"Thank you," He takes another deep breath, "so much."

"It's okay. You're going to be okay." The Doctor soothes him. The sight of it makes me sick; Ryan doesn't deserve any kindness.

Using the sonic screwdriver that seems to be much more than a screwdriver, the Doctor quickly has the motors working again. We continue on our way as if nothing happened, or at least he does. Everyone of us is shooting dagger eyes at Ryan, and glancing suspiciously at the Doctor. Nobody says a word the rest of the trip.

Finally at the island shore, I find my voice again.

"What did you do that for?" I demand.

The Doctor tugs Ryan along with us as we go to check in. The island shore is a busy little town, especially now with all of us new comers. There are a bunch of little shops that line the main road. At what looks like a city hall, they are already starting to make a list of survivors.

Instead of answering me, he says "Oh, look! Little shops! I like little shops." A broad smile lights up his face.

I'm not giving up that easy.

"Doctor, why did you save him?" I ask again, stepping in front of him. He looks down at me, face unreadable.

"I couldn't just let him drown."

"I would have." I say bluntly.

We stare each other down in a battle of wills awhile until I finally get out of the Doctor's way.

I follow along behind him, walking in pace with Zara. She's wide-eyed and looks frazzled. Wordlessly, I reach out and grab her hand comfortingly. Silent tears trace glistening streaks down her scaled face.

Rage bubbles in my veins at seeing Ryan walking with us. He tried to kill us all, to stop our rescue. He didn't deserve to be saved. The Doctor should have just let him drown.

_I couldn't just let him drown._ I hear those words echo in my head, and I start to understand the Doctor's reasoning; after all, I've been in his mind. I've seen the terrible things that he's been through; all the war and fighting and loss. By saving others, it's almost like he's trying to save those that he couldn't save before. While I may understand the Doctor's point of view and not be angry with him anymore, I still don't think that Ryan should have been saved.

Once we check in, Ryan tries to disappear into the crowd.

"You're staying here, with us." The Doctor orders, grabbing him by the arm. Ryan glares at him, but doesn't argue. The others that came with us will probably murder him if they get the chance, and he knows it.

I watch the Doctor as thoughts flicker beneath his eyes.

"Who would have caused that? Why? What's the point of it?" He thinks aloud. Like he suddenly remembers Ryan, he looks over to him. "Tell me, what was the reason for that?"

Ryan's jaw clenches in defiance.

"Tell me!" The Doctor yells, causing all of us to flinch. White-hot rage burns in the depths of his dark eyes, and his teeth grate together.

"It was all part of the plan."

"What plan? Who's doing this?" The Doctor demands.

"The children of Earth shall always honor their mother." Ryan answers cryptically. The rage quickly drains from the Doctor's face, being replaced with shock.

"What? What is it? Doctor, what does that mean?" I question.

"This isn't over yet. It's just begun."


	9. Deadly Obsession

**_DISCLAIMER: _**I do not own Doctor Who. This is a nonprofit fan fiction. All non-Doctor Who characters are mine and so is the plot.

**Chapter 9: Deadly Obsession**

Dread washes over me like a tidal wave. I can't even begin to imagine what else might happen, or why anyone would even do any of this.

"Organized...All of this is organized, but how are they communicating?" The Doctor asks, seemingly to himself, but then he looks to Ryan for the answer.

A cruel smile tugs on the corners of Ryan's lips, a dark flame igniting in his eyes. That look sends a chill down my spine.

"Oh, of course! There must be a neural implant in every Earth Agent. But where's the transmitter?" The Doctor looks around, his eyes locking on the top of the island's mountain.

"Alongs-y!" He shouts and takes off running towards the mountain, dragging Ryan along with him. Zara and I follow closely behind.

_Nueral transmitter,_ I think to myself, feeling a puzzle piece click into place.

_"That's what's blocking his thoughts." _The Doctor's voice enters my mind, completing my idea.

We run through the island's dense foliage. The dirt beneath our feet is a thick mud that sucks our feet into the ground, slowing us down but not stopping us. The humidity seems to snake around my body, but instead of feeling like it's constricting me, it's like it's encouraging me. Step by step, I pick up a bit more speed, despite the mud, until I'm running parallel with the Doctor. I decide that I like this planet.

_"Doctor, why are you taking Ryan with us? What if he can send a message to the others?"_ I ask through our telepathic fields.

_"That's exactly why we need him."_

_"But what if he stops us?"_

_"Madison, he has information that we can use to stop this. We can save so many people."_

An image of Caleb comes into my mind. A spark of hope lights up within the ever-present heartache. We can save him. Caleb can be safe from harm. Suddenly, I'm more determined than ever to make sure nothing happens to Ryan. He can be the key to helping Caleb get through this mess.

The Doctor takes out his sonic screwdriver, waving it around in front of us. The noise makes me wince.

"Sorry. I have to use it."

I grunt my understanding through the pain splitting my head. My hands clamp over my ears. I find it makes this harder for me to balance with the the mud underneath me. Unhappily, I take my hands away from my ears. Guess I'm just going to have to deal with it.

**_BOOOM__!_**

Beneath us, the ground trembles with the explosion. We all slide to a halt, looking to the shore below us. A huge cloud of smoke billows up from where the city hall stood only minutes ago. In the distance we can hear the screams of the people. We can only watch as they run around, far enough away that they look like ants.

All I can think about is Caleb and how I hope with all my strength that he wasn't in that building.

"It is envitable. The mother will not lose her children!" Ryan yells maniacally, a strange smile on his face.

That look makes me snap.

"Shut up! Just shut up! You make no sense! Innocent people are going to die because of you!" I scream in his face. That disturbing smile only deepens.

"Innocent people, just like Caleb, huh?" He starts laughing when he sees the pain on my face.

"You were his friend!"

"And I still am."

"Then how could you do this?"

"Madison, he's not alone." The Doctor interrupts. I look over to him, startled.

"What do you mean?" I demand, even though I already know.

"Caleb was part of the plan too."

"Only because of Ryan! Ryan tricked him!" Hot tears well up in my eyes as I feel the betrayal sink it's icy claws into my chest.

At this, Ryan laughs even harder, like a man possessed.

"Ryan did not trick anyone, Ryan only helped a friend with a similar cause." Ryan says in third person.

"No! You're lying!" I screech in his face.

A rough hand grabs my shoulder, turning me away from Ryan and his cruel amusement. I look up at the Doctor though the blur of tears.

"I'm sorry, Madison. I'm so, so sorry, but you have to forget about that right now. We have to stop this before anyone else dies. Do you understand me?"

Forcibly, I swallow the rest of my tears along with the bitter acidity of the betrayal. I nod my head, unable to look into the Doctor's ancient eyes.

We continue running up the mountain, and I continue grating my teeth against the pain the sonic's noise causes me. To my distaste, it begins to grow higher in pitch.

"There!" The Doctor yells, startling both Zara and I. In front of us is a large tree growing out of the side of a cliff.

"What?" I ask, somewhat annoyed.

The Doctor runs up to the tree, waving the sonic. A doorway opens in the tree and he disappears inside. I shove Ryan in front of us, forcing him to go first. Inside the tree is a metal-walled corridor.

Using the screwdriver, the Doctor turns on the emergency lights. The hallway is still dim, but there's enough light to see without running into something or tripping. I'm grateful when the Doctor tucks the sonic device back into one of his pockets.

"Now, we have to look for the controls. If we can tap into the neural transmitters, perhaps we could convince them to stop their attack." He says.

"The Earth's children will never rest! The mother must have her children back!" Ryan declares.

"What does he mean?" We all jump and turn around, staring at Zara. This is the first time she's spoken since we were on the TARDIS.

"He is talking about the Children of Earth. An organization obsessed with preserving the Earth as it has always been. They believe that her people should stay with her until the end. They call it 'honoring the mother'. They believe that the Earth wants to punish those who abandon her for another planet. So, they decided to take it upon themselves to punish everyone that tried to leave." There is no denying the rage and disgust in the Doctor's voice.

"And they shall be punished! They will all burn in the fires of hell!" Ryan cries excitedly.

As if on cue, a bombardment of explosions causes the entire mountain to shudder. Thankfully, we can no longer hear the tortured screams of the people below.


	10. The Final Solution

_**DISCLAIMER:** _I do not own Doctor Who. This is a nonprofit fan fiction.

**Chapter 10: Final Solution**

"How could they do that? I mean, there were no weapons allowed on board, but now they're blowing everything up!" Zara asks. I can tell that she's on the verge of freaking out, but then again, so am I.

"They are using ancient weapons, guns and explosives from the twentieth century. They don't show up in weapons screenings." The Doctor answers, shooting Ryan a dark look. Even though it's not aimed at me, it's still strong enough to make me shudder. "Come on, we have to keep moving."

We start off into another brisk jog. Another explosion shudders through the mountain with impossible strength.

"What are we going to do?" Zara asks, suddenly becoming more vocal.

"We're going to save them." The Doctor answers as if it's obvious.

"But if we go back, we can get them all into your ship." She argues between breaths; I'm also starting to get tired from all the running.

"It's too dangerous. This is the best way."

In his mind, I see an image of Rose, a beautiful young girl with silky, blonde hair. He would go back for her if she was out there. Nothing would stop him from going after her.

_"I would go back for you, too."_ His voice enters my head.

_"No, you wouldn't. You would rather save Rose, but that's okay, I understand."_ Once I say this, I realize that I really do understand, because there is someone that I'd rather save than the Doctor. _"Really, I understand. Honestly, I do."_

A sharp memory breaks into my consciousness:

_Caleb stands there, staring at me with his jaw dropped. He's trying his hardest not to smile, struggling to keep on a mask of anger. I'm laughing hysterically. It feels like my stomach is about to split. The cake batter drips down his face, plastered in his hair. His sapphire eyes glow with amusement._

_"Seriously?" He asks, starting to laugh himself. He looks like some kind of comical cake monster. I can't stop laughing._

_Laughing, he runs at me, scooping me up in his arms._

_"No! Put me down!" I squeal through my laughter, swatting at him playfully._

_With me in his arms, he lunges into the pool. Water rushes over my face and into my open mouth. When we surface, I'm choking on water and laughing at the same time._

_"You idiot!" I accuse playfully._

_He silences me with a gentle kiss. "I love you."_

I snap out of the memory, worry and hurt clenching in the pit of my stomach. I'm only vaguely aware of the tears rolling down my cheeks to my jaw. It is now that I realize that I don't care if what Ryan and the Doctor says about Caleb is true; I love him, and I couldn't dare let anything bad happen to him.

Spinning around on my heel, I take off in the opposite direction than the Doctor, towards the explosions, towards the shore that Caleb has probably already arrived at. Behind me, I hear footsteps running in my direction. I don't have to look back to know it's the Doctor, coming to stop me.

"NO!" I scream, forcing my worn muscles to pull me along even faster. Ignoring the burning protest in my legs, I run even faster towards the exit. I have to make sure he's alright; I just love him so much, I can't leave him to his death. Even though I know that he probably doesn't deserve it, I can't deny the desperation in my veins that begs me to save him.

At the end of the hallway, I stop abruptly, nearing falling foward. Outside, the land just drops off, thanks to one of the many bombs. There's too high of a cliff to jump down.

By now, the Doctor catches up to me, placing a hand on my arm.

"It's too late. All you can do now it continue on. Maybe there's a change we can still save him." The Doctor looks at me sympathically. I remember from being inside his head that this is the same way he lose Rose; unable to do anything to save her. He was only able to watch as she disappeared from his life. His eyes tell me that he's remembering the same thing.

The Doctor slips his hand in mind, giving me the strength that I need to go on. My chest tightens with another pang of hurt, but for once it is not for Caleb. This pain is for the Doctor, who had to face that loss all on his own. I squeeze his hand slightly, offering him comfort just as he does for me, only I'm already too late.

We reach the control room at the heart of the mountain. It's warm and humid in this room, a little too warm for my liking, but it's perfect for Zara, though; we always had disagreements about the temperature that we should keep our room on the star ship.

The Doctor takes out his sonic screwdriver again, but by now I've learned my lesson and I clamp my hands over my ears before he turns it on. Even through my hands I can hear the high pitched whirring sound, but it's not nearly as bad. Tucking the screwdriver back in its place, he types in a simple code before picking up a microphone.

"Children of the Earth, I am speaking to you. If you leave these people alone, I can return all of you back to the Mother planet where you can all live peacefully until the end." He announces.

From a speaker in the center of the transmission controls, a sickeningly familiar voices comes out.

"Who is this?"

"I am the Doctor. I can take you all back home if you promise to leave these people alone."

"They must come with us, Doctor."

"The world is going to end in thirty years. They do not want to die with an old planet, but I promise you that they will never forget." The Doctor tells him.

"They will die with the mother planet! If they do not choose to come with us, then they must all be punished! It is the way of the Earth!" Caleb rants.

My heart shatters into a million pieces. All of it, all the times we spent together, was all just a lie. The necklace, planning out our lives in new world, all of it was to hide the fact that he wanted to keep me from warning others of these plans. He knew that I would never agree to the murder of an entire planet's population.

"Please, Caleb, please just listen to the Doctor." I beg, his name tasting like vinegar on my tongue.

"This is your only chance," the Doctor warns.

"The Children will not rest until the brotherhood has returned home!" Hundreds of voices, including Caleb and Ryan's, say in unison. The sound sends a chill up my spine.

"Then what happens now is your own doing." The Doctor takes out his sonic screwdriver, points it at the controls and turns it on before I can cover my ears.

Sparks fly out of the control panel, and Ryan lets out an ear-shattering screech before dropping to the floor. I jump away, startled, feeling all the color drain from my face.

Cautiously, I lean over Ryan's body, placing trembling fingers over the pulse in his neck. He is dead.

"Wh-What did you d-do?" Zara asks, voice shaking as badly as the rest of her body.

"I sent an electrical pulse to the transmitters."

"They're all dead." It comes out of my mouth as more of a question than a statement.

"Yes."

My heart sinks. I feel a sob get caught in my throat.

"I'm sorry. It was the only way." He says, voice deprived of emotion.

I don't have to look up to know that his expression matches the blankness of his tone. Anger threatens to engulf me, but I'm so weak that it quickly vaporizes. I'm felt feeling worn out, just wanting to get out of this room and away from this planet.

"I know," I whisper.

* * *

... ... ... ... ...

* * *

The shore is a disaster of shattered building and demolished planet life. Dead bodies lay mangled here and there, but the survivors are starting to relax now that the threat seems to be over.

"Doctor, where are you going to go now?" I ask, Zara and I both standing on the docks with him.

"I thought we were leaving," he answers. Despite all of what just happened, a playful smirk twitches on the edge of his lips.

With those words, I feel all of the day's chaos lift from my shoulders, if only a little, allowing joy to flood in. The darkness inside me retreats some, allowing me to smile back at him.

"I'm going with you?"

"Yeah, of course, if you want." His smile doesn't fade any, but I see a shift in his eyes. He thinks I'm going to stay here, leaving him alone again.

"I'd love to." I say, and I mean it.

Ever since meeting him, things have been more bearable. I'm no longer trapped in my own mind, stuck struggling with the things that overwhelm me. It must be the same way for the Doctor.

"A new ship will come for you and the rest of the survivors. You should have a safe journey now." The Doctor says to Zara. He must already know from her mind that she has family on Landor. She nods at him, then looks to me. "Are you sure you aren't going to stay?"

"No," I shake my head, "I have nothing there, and my family isn't around anymore." I explain.

Zara runs up to me, throwing her arms around my neck.

"Please take care of yourself, you are a great friend." She says into my neck. I hug her back.

"Are so are you. Don't worry; I won't forget you. Maybe I'll ever visit some time." I promise before going to the Doctor's side.

He takes my hand in his, leading us towards the boat that is waiting to take us to the refueling dock, where we left his TARDIS. We make the trip in silence, but like always, it is never an uncomfortable quiet.

As we board the TARDIS, the Doctor takes Rose's jacket from the coat rack where I placed it neatly before exiting the space/time ship. He replaces it on the back of the captain's chair, right where it belongs. His fingers trace over it softly before he goes over to the controls. Without using my telepathic gift, I know that he's thinking how happy he is that she's at least still alive, unlike Caleb.

Pushing the thought aside for another time, I ask "So, where to?"

The Doctor looks up from messing around with the control gadgets, the first genuine smile I've seen on his face. A real smile lights up my features as well. His eyes sparkle with excitment, and I feel his giddiness flood into my mind.

"To infinity and beyond!"


End file.
